What's Happening

At The Farm

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Our perfect week continued into a perfect weekend - an all-day-drizzly-cloudy Sunday to cap off a full week of sun. Then the thermometer pointed north and stayed there. Once the stage is set like this (all of our crops settled into their places, their roots tied strongly to the earth, water pumping through their veins) if we add heat..... We know that sound....that's the sound of cells dividing. Blammo! Away they go, and away we go trying to keep up with them.

Of course, as you know by now, that it's not just the plants that we are tending, that start to explode as we start to sweat. The plants we aren't tending (aka 'the weeds') also ratchet up their desire to choke out best laid plans. And, it seems, our crops conspire to keep us exhausted providing us with days of heavier and heavier harvesting.

The week of July 4th generally provides important milestones for us: The winter squash needs to be hoed, so that the remaining plants can spread out a three-acre sea of leaves. The majority of our fall roots need to be seeded so they are ready for harvest in October. And, the tomatoes need to be trellised so they won't flop over from the weight of themselves and create a tangled mess of a harvest in late August.

The heat merely brings a little sass to the scene. The zucchinis grow faster. As do the grasses trying to wipe out the sweet potatoes. We just have to keep our cool; plenty of water to drink, one foot in front of the other, methodically moving from one impossible job to the next. And at weeks end, where are we now? 2750 stakes are all pounded and standing tall in the tomatoes. 1 acre of fall roots seeded in hopeful, clean beds. 3 acres of squash hoed and ready to go. Waiting for rain. Did you see the forecast for tonight? I did. Here's hoping this string continues.......